


Winter’s amulet

by Prawnperson



Series: Submarine series [2]
Category: Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, I like to imagine, WX almost busted his ass gettin that amulet crafted, Walani is lowkey oblivious to WX’s “feelings” towards her, Warly is very protective, but he certainly doesn’t have a crush on her, no sir, ok dude whatever you say
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-07 23:55:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19095559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prawnperson/pseuds/Prawnperson
Summary: WX-78 wants to get the perfect Winter’s feast gift for Walani. He is sure it is just to prove he is the superior gift giver of the camp and no other reason.





	Winter’s amulet

“A lazy forager!”

Walani exclaims, holding the large yellow stone in her hands, eyes shining with excitement. The rest of the camp is in shocked silence. 

“Dude, no way...where did you get this?!”

She turns and beams at the giver of the gift, none other than WX-78. He smiles a lazy grin at her, an expression he’s only started making since he returned from that island with the others in tow to the mainland, and clenches his hands into fists in his lap.

“AH, WELL...I FOUND IT....”

Walani clearly isn’t really listening, still staring down at the magic talisman. She rubs her thumb over the surface of the gem and notes it’s cool and cold, almost metallic.

“PUT IT ON.”

WX requests, rather than commands. It’s hard to distinguish the two with his monotone voice, but Walani’s learned almost all his little mannerisms by now. She reaches at the little clasp, fumbles with it and reaches behind her neck to close it. There are swift hands batting away her fingertips and swiftly locking the catch into place. The sunny stone sits delicately on her chest, gaining a glimmer. Immediately, logs, twigs, and bundles of dry cut grass begin swooping towards her feet, gathering in a ring shape. Walani lets out a squeal of delight.

WX can almost feel his expression soften into one of dazed giddiness. She likes it! She really likes it! 

In all honesty, getting that amulet was a lot of bother. An awful lot. A result of his four day excursion to the ruins in which he was attacked, bashed and knocked unconscious on two separate occasions, all to reach the ancient pseudo science station. Yes, crafting it has certainly been a dangerous and painful task.

But to see the look on Walani’s face-it was so worth it. The way she grins, biting her lip occasionally as she gets down on her knees to take through her magically-gotten spoils. WX can see her dimples, the shine in her eyes like the early sun of the milder of the summer months. 

Suddenly, she laughs. It’s at nothing in particular as far as WX can tell, just a general sign that she’s happy, and for some reason, some strange, unknown reason, WX feels something stammer and flutter in his chest cavity. It’s like one of the butterflies he’s seen the small blonde fleshling pull the wings off of. 

“Are you alright, WX?”

The robot turns to look at Walani, who has her head tilted, exposing the chain sitting around the column of her neck. WX makes a questioning noise and Walani giggles again, soft and sweet and perfect.

“You’re steaming up!”

—————

There’s a stirring disturbance outside of WX’s tent that immediately makes him suspicious. It’s thankfully not the sound of a monster, not that he couldn’t take them, but rather that of a human.

“Can I come in?”

It’s Warly. WX does not like him, he does not like WX. 

“WHAT DO YOU WANT?”

There’s a pause and a slight rustling.

“I want to talk to you.”

“NEGATIVE. LEAVE OR PERISH.”

Despite WX-78’s command, Warly still slips inside his tent, brushing snow off himself as he does so. WX scowls whilst he sits himself down on the edge of the straw roll and moves his hand closer to his spear. He can never be too careful.

“Listen, I don’t want to be here any more than you do, but I want to ask you something.”

“WHAT?”

WX bites. Warly’s facial expression doesn’t change, he keeps the same calm, almost serious demeanour.

“What was all that about with Walani? The amulet?”

Ah, so that’s it. The robot’s whole body tenses up, hands clenching at his sides, inner mechanisms grinding almost uncomfortably, painfully, like he’s waterlogged. Is this embarrassment? 

“Look, I know for a fact you did not just find a magic amulet lying around. You went missing for four solid days, Wilson thought that you were dead. When you came back you nearly were.”

Warly pauses momentarily to twang at his hairband, almost nonchalantly, seemingly giving WX some time to tell him to get out now-and yet, he still doesn’t. 

“You know what the deal is for Winter’s feast. We give each other little gifts. I made jam for everyone. Wilson got Willow sticks in bundles. Webber wove grass into little bracelets. All very small things. Sure, an amulet’s great, but you hate us all, or at least that’s what you say. You don’t just bust out a magic amulet for someone you claim to ‘hate the least’. You don’t nearly kill yourself to get at it, either.”

“LEAVE MY TENT, FLESHLING.”

Warly looks at WX, opens his mouth like he’s about to say something else, only to shut it with a sigh. 

“Listen, just...I don’t know, alright? Just don’t do something stupid to her, because if you do I’ll make sure you regret it.”

WX wants to scoff. As if Warly could do anything to his superior robot body. Still, the aggressive edge in his voice is something he’s rarely heard from this particular human, usually preferring to stay friendly and anxious.

“I AM ENDING THE CONVERSATION NOW. YOU WILL LEAVE MY TENT AND TELL NOBODY OF THIS.”

Warly rolls his eyes and steps out into the snow again. WX-78 has the feeling that Warly’s going to blab to Wolfgang like he does about almost everything. Hell, are those to nosy. 

WX decides that thinking too much about it makes his head sore and lies down on his bedroll, the woven grass slightly warming up the metal of his back. Almost immediately, images of Walani fill his mind like they have done for the past several weeks. Some are from earlier today, and some are, as usual, small hypothetical scenarios involving her, always happy, smiling, content. WX notices a disturbing pattern.

Oh.

Oh no.


End file.
